Extremely variable, slender, occasionally lush, tufted or very shortly rhizomatous perennial, of low to medium stature, 4-46-(82) cm, with leaves varying from greyish green to green and from tightly inrolled to flat, with erect culms and usually spike-like panicles, sometimes greatly overtopping leaves; branching extravaginal. Leaf-sheath abaxially glabrous, scabrid, pubescent or villous. Ligule membranous, truncate, often erose and/or somewhat ciliate, (0.2)-0.3-1.3 mm. Collar often thickened and paler near margins, often with long hairs on upper margins. Leaf-blade flat, folded or involute, linear to ± filiform, 3-15-(30) cm × 1-1.5 mm diam., or up to 2-(4) mm wide, abaxially glabrous, scabrid, pubescent or villous, adaxially ribbed, scabrid to densely villous, especially on ribs; margins ± scabrid, often with long hairs below, apex acute, hooded. Culm to 41-(66) cm, internodes entirely glabrous or frequently minutely pubescent below panicle, often scabrid to villous above and/or below nodes, very occasionally pubescent throughout. Panicle (2.0)-3.0-16 × 0.5-1.2 cm, spike-like or occasionally lanceolate, sometimes interrupted, with appressed-ascending branches; branches and pedicels glabrous, scabrid or pubescent to villous; bract subtending panicle glabrous, or often tipped by long hairs, or absent. Spikelets (3.8)-4.5-5.8-(7) mm, 2-3-(5)-flowered, light green, often purplish to brownish. Glumes subequal, membranous with wide hyaline margins above, oblong-lanceolate to elliptic; lower 3.0-4.8 mm, 1-3-nerved, upper 3.2-5.2 mm, 3-4-nerved. Lemma (3.0)-3.8-4.7-(5.5) mm, 3-5-nerved, oblong, narrow obovate, or lanceolate, acute, acuminate or occasionally obtuse, entire, mucronate or shortly awned (sometimes within one panicle), apex sometimes minutely bidentate; awn apical or subapical, to 1.5-(3.2) mm. Palea 3.5-4.3 mm, recurved from base, keel prickle-toothed above. Callus hairs (0.1)-0.2-0.5-(0.7) mm. Rachilla 0.6-1.5-(1.9) mm, hairs 0.2-1.4 mm; prolongation c. 1 mm, hairs short (0.3 mm). Lodicules 0.7-1.1 mm. Anthers 0.8-2.5 mm. Gynoecium: ovary 0.5-0.8 mm; stigma-styles 1-1.4 mm. Caryopsis c. 2 × 0.4 mm.
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